FIRE AT THE TRAM SHEDS.

Manawatu Herald, 27 August 1895, Page 2

FIRE AT THE TRAM SHEDS.

Last night at eleven o'clock a disastrous fire broke out in the buildings known as the Tram Sheds

situate on the Main -street, Fox ton, and close to the Foal; Office. The building had no one living in it. Part was occupied for storing flax abd another part was used as fl billiard room by Mr H. Bradcock. The other portions were unused. The building was the property of th<9 railway department. The fire broke out in the building in which the flax was stored at 11 o'clock or a few minutes past, which was at IHe tlorth end tif the block, and as the wind, though slight, blew from that direction the place was quickly in a blaze. Nothing could be removed from the building or anything done to save it, and the large crowd that had quickly assembled devoted their attention to saving the Post Office which was, at times, in serious danger. Mr Curtis, the postmaster, was awakened almost as soon as the fire commenced in the sheds, ar|d he took up, with other volunteers, the post of heat, if not danger, at the north end of the building throwing up water over the walls. Fortunately the office is well supplied with tanks and they were nearly full, thus one source of help was present. The tramsheds were wholly destroyed and also a small building on the boundary of the Post Office and not thirty feet away from the building. If the breeze had not slightly changed to the eastward the Post Office must have gone. The tramsheds wertf covered with totara shingles and, these were blown alight right over the Post Office, and on exam" ination made this morning it was found that every gutter in that building, and there are very many, were completely destioyed by the lead being burnt through, and in places the boards below charred, and this in spite of the care of the watchers and the use of much water. After two or three hours hard work the fire exhausted itself, though up to the middle of to-day the flax was still blazing. The too energetic public again lent a hand to Mr Curtis and cleared all his furniture and the contents of the office out across the road, but unfortunately with that want of care that many articles were destroyed in the saving, as Paddy would say. The losses are heavy. Mr George Coley, who had some flax in the shed reckons his loss at £50. Mr Patterson, of Wellington, who had a lot of 25 tons, has lost all, unless covered by insurance. Mr Henry Bradcock lost his billiard table and fittings which were insured for £60 in the Standard Co. Mr Cowjeg lost, in tbe separate building, a fine collection of carpenters tools and some fmniture which he had made, of the value of £20. The tramsheds were leased by the Eailway Depart' i ment to Mr Reeves, of Wellington, and there is an insurance of £150 on them in the Standard Co. Mr""*< Curtis will have suffered damage by the removal of his furniture, but it ia covered by an insurance of £200 in the New Zealand Insurance Com* pany. A fire occurred at Pahnerstoo North at 4 o'clock on Sunday morn* ing which completely gutted Han - kins' Buildings, occupied by Hankins (solicitor) and Davidson (piano importer). The stocks ofDe Luen Bros, and Olsen, tailor, in premises adjoining, were damaged. Insurances : — On Hankins'^uU)i«g ings, £600 in the Phoenix office ;%ii* flunking' library, £800 in the Sun office. Davidson, £150 on stock, Alliance office.